Locking gun rack

ABSTRACT

A rack securable within an automotive vehicle, the rack being adaptable for supporting a plurality of rifles or shotguns, and the rack including a locking means for securing the firearms and preventing theft thereof when the vehicle is open.

United States Patent Howerton 1 Feb. 22, 1972 [54] LOCKING GUN RACK [72] Inventor: Glen l-lowerton, Rural Route, Juliaetta,

Idaho 83535 [22] Filed: Aug. 4, 1969 [21] Appl.No.: 847,187

[52] U.S.C1 ..2ll/64,211/4 [51] lnt.Cl. ..A47b81/00 [58] FieldolSearch ..21l/4,8,6 4;312/l07.5

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,321,018 6/1943 Dowd ..211/64 2,667,274 1/1954 Diebold ..211/64 l1\ l? W 35 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Abraham Frankel [57] ABSTRACT A rack securable within an automotive vehicle, the rack being adaptable for supporting a plurality of rifles or shotguns, and the rack including a locking means for securing the firearms and preventing theft thereof when the vehicleis open.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures LOCKING GUN RACK This invention relates generally to racks for firearms.

It is generally well known to sportsmen that their firearms are in jeopardy of being stolen from an automotive vehicle when the vehicle is parked and the door is unlocked. This situation of course is objectionable and in want of improvement.

Accordingly it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a locking gun rack for an automotive vehicle having self-contained means whereby rifles and shotguns can be prevented from being stolen from within an automotive vehicle even when the vehicle door is open and the vehicle is parked.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking gun rack designed to support a plurality of firearms and which holds the same by the barrel and the stock itself.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a locking gun rack which is simple'in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These an other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a cover plate forming a part of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the invention shown in a locked position, FIG. 3 is a side elevation view thereof shown in an unlocked position, FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the barrel receiving portion ofthe present invention, and

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the locking portion of the gun rack in a locked position, and FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the locking gun rack in operative use.

Referring now to the drawing in detail the reference numeral 10 represents a locking gun rack according to the present invention wherein there is an assembly 11 comprised of stantions l2 and 13 connected together by means of a plurality of horizontally extending straps l4 and 15 each of which is provided with a plurality of openings 16 therethrough for receiving rivets or bolts for securement of the gun rack within an automotive vehicle.

The stantion 12 is comprised of channel iron, and is provided with a plurality of /-inch iron rod loops l7 and each of the loops being lined with a plastic or rubber cushion 33 for supporting therein a barrel l8 ofa rifle or shotgun firearm 19.

Alternately, the channel may be made ofaluminum material so as to be of relatively lightweight.

The stantion 13 is comprised likewise of channel iron, or may alternately be made of aluminum material to provide lightness in weight.

The channel of stantion 13 has a sidewardly extending rivet 20 extending through a vertically extending slot 21 ofa sliding cam 22 made of iron strap. The iron strap is accordingly vertically slideable with respect to the channel iron stantion 13, the sliding cam being provided with a plurality of notches 23 formed at the upper ends of generally triangular recesses 24. The stantion 13 when welded to cover plate 32, provides a tubular housing in which the sliding cam 22 can slide freely.

A plurality of stock holders 25 made of strap iron are secured to the channel 13, each stock holder being of generally U-shaped configuration so as to support the stock 26 of the firearm I9. EAch stock holder, like the loop 17 is lined with plastic or rubber cushion 33 so as to prevent scratching the stock. At the outer end of the stock holder, there is a hinge pin 27 to which there is attachable a pivotable locking dog 28, the locking dog being made of strap iron, and having a detent 29 which in a locked position is receivable within notch 23 of the sliding cam, as shown in FIG. 2 ofthe drawing.

A padlock 30, or a car door-type lock, is secured upon the channel iron 13, the padlock 30 having an iron pipe around the lock so as to prevent the padlock being broken by physical access thereto by an unauthorized person. As shown in FIG. 2, the padlock 30 has a sliding bolt 31 which locks the sliding cam 22 in a locked position whereby the locking dogs are locked within the notches 23 of the sliding cam, as shown in FIG. 2.

An oblong strap iron cover plate 32 is rigidly affixed to the stantion 13, being mounted upon the side thereof so as to fully cover the cam and also cover the locking dogs, thereby preventing manipulation by anyone trying to break the same.

It is to be noted that the cover plate 32 is secured by a welding operation to the stantion 13 to form a relatively strong construction.

In operative use, it is now evident that a firearm 19 may be secured upon the locking gun rack by simply placing the firearm with the barrel thereof in the loop 17 of the channel stantion 12 while the stock thereof is supported within the stock holder and secured by the locking dogs attached within the notch 23 of the sliding cam which is then locked in a locked position by means of the padlock 30.

Thus there has been provided a locking gun rack for protecting rifles and shotguns within an automotive vehicle when the vehicle door is left open such as when being parked.

What I now claim is:

1. In a locking gun rack, the combination of an assembly including a pair of vertically extending stantions, each said stantion being made of channel iron or the equivalent, said stantions being in spaced-apart relation, and secured into a unitary structure by means of a plurality of horizontally extending straps welded there between, said straps having a plurality of openings therethrough for receiving rivets or bolts for securement to an automotive vehicle, one of said vertically extending channel irons is provided with a plurality of slots therein, each of said slots being lined with a cuff around the edges thereof, and each said slot receiving a barrel of a firearm, the other of said vertically extending channel irons has a side wardly extending rivet extending through a vertically extending slot of a vertically slideable sliding cam, said sliding cam being provided with a plurality of recesses on the side thereof, each of said side recesses having a notch on an upper side thereof, and said other channel iron having a U-shaped stock holder secured thereto, each said stock holder being lined with a cushion for cradling a stock of said firearm, and an outer end of said stock holder having a hinge pin to which there is secured a pivotable locking dog having a detent on the end thereof receivable within said notch of said sliding cam.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a padlock is mounted on said other channel iron, said padlock having a slidable bolt moveable across the path of said sliding cam and locking said sliding cam is a position wherein said detent of said locking dog is in a locked position within said notch of said sliding cam.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein a cover plate covers a side of said sliding cam and said locking dogs. 

1. In a locking gun rack, the combination of an assembly including a pair of vertically extending stantions, each said stantion being made of channel iron or the equivalent, said stantions being in spaced-apart relation, and secured into a unitary structure by means of a plurality of horizontally extending straps welded there between, said straps having a plurality of openings therethrough for receiving rivets or bolts for securement to an automotive vehicle, one of said vertically extending channel irons is provided with a plurality of slots therein, each of said slots being lined with a cuff around the edges thereof, and each said slot receiving a barrel of a firearm, the other of said vertically extending channel irons has a sidewardly extending rivet extending through a vertically extending slot of a vertically slideable sliding cam, said sliding cam being provided with a plurality of recesses on the side thereof, each of said side recesses having a notch on an upper side thereof, and said other channel iron having a U-shaped stock holder secured thereto, each said stock holder being lined with a cushion for cradling a stock of said firearm, and an outer end of said stock holder having a hinge pin to which there is secured a pivotable locking dog having a detent on the end thereof receivable within said notch of said sliding cam.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a padlock is mounted on said other channel iron, said padlock having a slidable bolt moveable across the path of said sliding cam and locking said sliding cam is a position wherein said detent of said locking dog is in a locked position within said notch of said sliding cam.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein a cover plate covers a side of said sliding cam and said locking dogs. 